Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

Despite Turmoil Over ACA, Employer-Provided Health Care Not Budging Any Time Soon

"I think a company — any size company — would be incredibly afraid to just cancel its insurance policy and say the hell with it," says business owner Walt Rowen.

The Associated Press:
Employer-Based Health Coverage Likely To Stay Awhile
If you are like roughly half of Americans who get their health insurance through an employer, relax. The turmoil around "Obamacare" all but guarantees you'll still be able to do that. The reasons? Unemployment is low, skilled workers are hard to find — and people expect employers to provide health care. (Kellman and Rosenberg, 8/4)

In other news —

The Wall Street Journal:
Aetna Profit Rises On Better Pricing; Company Raises Outlook
Aetna Inc. reported a stronger profit for its second quarter, boosted by limited medical spending and better-than-expected results from Affordable Care Act programs intended to reduce insurers’ risk on health-law insurance plans. The insurer, which joins others in the industry that have previously reported positive results, highlighted the growth and future prospects in its government business, particularly its continuing expansion in Medicare Advantage, the plans sold by private insurers under the federal program, as it continued detailing its strategy after the failure of its effort to buy Humana Inc. That deal was terminated in February after a federal judge ruled it would violate antitrust law. (Wilde Mathews and Vasquez, 8/3)

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